Gateway Arts District

THE CHALLENGE: The Gateway Arts District in Prince Georges County, Md., is situated at the point where four municipalities – Mt. Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville – come together along the Route One Corridor. The area was undergoing transition and revitalization that was funded by government, non-profit and private development efforts. The goal was to make the Gateway Arts District a destination similar to other local arts districts like U Street Corridor in Washington D.C., downtown Silver Spring, Md., or the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Va. Area leaders sought a woman-owned agency to create identity and branding that would resonate with artists, tourists, families and couples.

OUR APPROACH: The Gateway Arts District team had a budget of $50,000, which is small by larger agency standards. But because Spring13 was able to assemble a team of top-tier talent without all the extraneous big agency charges, we were able to produce positioning statements, taglines, logos, brochures and a corporate ID package, as well as plan for a website in phase two. We also concepted and directed a photo shoot to highlight local artists in the community and give a human face to the area. Throughout the project, Spring 13 handled all the research, communications and project presentation to state and local officials.

THE RESULTS: Gateway Arts District clients appreciated and trusted the input and leadership provided by Spring13, given our perspective as artists and small business members. Spring13’s solutions, including pre-printed shells and templates, gave the brand a hip, professional feel while maximizing available budget and need for flexibility. Spring13 also researched and recommended several green and sustainable solutions that could be utilized for future marketing initiatives. The response to all campaign materials has been exceedingly positive and the new brand identity has already generated good press.

“Spring 13 is magnanimous. Our project, a branding campaign for a State designated Arts District, involved many public stakeholders and slow moving parts. Essentially our always changing schedule required Spring 13 to wait, wait, wait and then wait some more until we asked them to hurry up and complete the project. Nevertheless, they submitted high quality work with grace and flair.”